Wave-power system.



A. L. REYNOLDS WAVE POW R SYSTEM. APPLIOATION FILED MAYS, 1909.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

- 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

K M x azizi mmem fizz/621%) Zda Z erm/1 e /1a M7 M} y g H L A. L. REYNOLDS.

WAVE POWER SY TEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAYG, 1909.

Patentd Apr. 4, 1911.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

' 1&4 61,1701? ALVA LEE'MAN REYNOLDS, or HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA, Assienon in l GLOBE WAV POWER AND ELECTRIC CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA,

WAVE-POWER SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALVA Lear/ran BB1" News, a citizen of the United States, residing at Huntington Beach, in thecounty of Grange and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in VJavePower Systems, of which the f0llofW- ing is a specification.

This invention relates to a wave power system in which the force of the ocean-waves is received by vanes and thence transmitted to pumps which supply a fluid under pressure to a power-machine.

Objects of this invention are: To make provision for compensating for the inequalities of the wave-motion without employing an elevated reservoir; to minimize the cost of installation; to maximize strength and durability; to simplify and facilitate the work-of installing in the water and of dismantling and removing from the Water for purposes of renewal or repair; to provide comparatively cheap, simple and economical means for mounting the vanes and trans mitting the power therefrom to the pump; to provide a wave-motor construction that is applicable to piers already built; to provide a wave-motor unit which may be readily applied to and removed from the docks and piers already built.

The invention may be variously constructed, and I do not limit the same to specific forms.

The invention includes the complete apparatus and also the combinations and parts more particularly described in the subjoined detail description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure l is a perspective view of a wavepower system constructed in accordance with this invention. The waves are distorted, being shortened for clearness of de scription. Fig. 2 is a fragmental plan detail showing the top of parts of a single unit. Fig. 3 is a fragmental detaii in vertical section on line 50 Fi 2. Fig. 4 is a section on line a, Fig. 3. tion on line a2, Fig. 3.v Fig. 6 1s a section on line to, Fig. 3.

The system comprises a plurality of'working units, each unit comprising a vane 1 rigidly fixedto a rotatably-mounted sleeve Specification 0! Letters Patent.

Application filed Kay 6, 1909. Serial No. 494,505.

ig. 5 is a plan sec- Patented Apr. 4, 1931i.

in the form of a pipe 2 that is connected by suitable means with the piston-rod 3 of a pump 4 which is preferably a dohblwacting pump connected with mains 5, 6, of a watersystem hereinafter to be more fully de scribed.

A stationary pile 7 which is preferably a metal pipe inside the outer pipe or sleeve :53,

and the lower end of which is driven into the ocean-bed in any suitable manner, holds upright the outer pipe 2 which carries the vane l upright. A foot-bearing 8 and a head-bearing 9 of any suitable forms are between the pipes 7 and 2 to allow the outer pipe to rotate fully and freely around the inner pipe.

In the drawings, the foot-bearing is shown as a ball-bearing and the head-bear ing is shown as a collar fixed onto the inner pipefl', the outer pipe or sleeve being slidable endwise as' well as rotatable on the inner pipe.

.10 designates a crank fixed to the upper end of the outer pipe or sleeve 2 and car ried by a bearing vl1 that is mounted on sills 12 which may be a part of a pier 13 that forms a frame for supporting the outer pipes or sleeves of all of the worlring units of the system.

The crank-bearing 11 may be formed of duplicate plates 14, 14, each provided with upwardly-projecting cars 15 that are fits tened together by bolts 16, said plates being; secured to the sills 12 by bolts 17. The s d plate 18 of the pump 4 of each unit 3 may extend from the pump through a bearing 19 and may be conf nected by a wrist-block 20 and the connect 'ing-rod 21 with the crank-pin 22.

The crank 10 is provided with a down.- Ward hollow extension 23 which is internally screw-threaded as shown at 24, and screwed tightly onto the upper end ofthe outer pipe or sleeve 2, and is secured unscrewing by means of set-screws 25 Said downward extension is provided with an annular gain 26 into which is fitted a collar 27 formed on the upper face of the plates ice Tilt;

. held against unscrewing by the set-screws 29.- Said sectionZE: may be providcd'with s flange at its lower end to which the ilsnged bsll-bcsi'ing-cup 31 s secured by bolts 32 to support the cone-c and also the anti-friction bulls b 'illfii engage the outside of the pile l. externally smooth and cylindii.

The er espectively connected with the in. eb, 5, by suctiompi ces 33 end pressuregipes the suction-pipes bow connected with supply-mains 5, and pressure-pipes being connected 'with pressui'e-insin b. The supply-mains 5 lead from c. suinp or reservoir 35, and the pres:

sure-insin 6 leads into an air-pressure tank 36 which in turn discharges into :1 pressure main 3? is connected with s manifold 38 which in turn is connected by valved nozzles 39 with water-wheels 4:0 that-in turn are 'espectively connected by suitable means as the belts ll with the electrical genera," tors 2.

The wctenmotors dischsr e into the sump 35 from which the water returns to the supply-mains 5.

The vanes 1 may be constructed of any suitable insteriel. In the drawings each is shown as being constructed ofs number of planks 43 extending horizontally and so cured together at one end by upright reinforcing plates i l upon which are. fastened straps 4:5 that are bolted thereto and crepi'ovidcd at their free ends with bonds 4:6, to form clamps that aretightened by bolts 47 and fixed firmly by set-screws'i.

The motion of the particles of water in a wave is from the trough toward the crest, and consequently the vanes submerged in the wove are forced by the wsveoctwn to ward the crest of such wove, moving seaward to meet the wave as it approaches, and moving shorewsrd toward the crestoi the wove as the wave passes. This movement of the vane is transmitted through theoutei pipe 0 sleeve 2 to the crank 10 end thence to the piston of the pump, all of the tense being acted upon by each wave as it moves toward the shore. The short srrows'in Fig.

1 are intended to indicate the direction in; .WlllCl'l the w depicted "waives. T516 several vanes will L61 particles are moving in the therefore operate in more 01 less irregular succession and the pumopistons will thereby be variously operated; snd'st each move.

ment of s piston water will be forced 011- wsnd through thesysuem' of pipes. The water is thus forced under pressure into the pressucetcnlifid which ct the outset is full of sin, end the possum ofthe water compresses the sin in. the tank which is provided with a. gage 48 to indicate such pressure. The water is sucsunder this pressure, thsougb the main 334" to the manifold 38., and may there discharged through thenoszles controlled by? the valves 39 to drive the wsterwheels 420;

When the wove-power runs high, all of the valves 39 may be opened, thus putting the Waiter-Wheels into operation to drive the dynamics iil; and the electricity thus genousted may vbe led 05 through the csble 49 to the place of use or to c stomge butteiy, not shown, where it may be stored until required for use. 7

When "the wave-action becomes less forces fill, the power transmitted by the Waves will decrease, and thei-cupon one or more of the vali es 39 may be closed, thus to maintain a determined pressure in the pressure-tank 36.

The motor-units are all therefore made to operate at all times under practically uniform pressure.

In the drawlngs only three wstecwheels shown, but it is to be understood that the number of water-wheels and electric genera-tors us well as that of the pumping units may be increased indefinitely or that in small plants only a single wstenwheel and its connected dynamo may be emnloyed.

To dismantle a unit, the connecting-rod 21 may be disconnected from its crank and the bolts 16 and 17 maybe removed, and a, tackle. attached to the crank 10, and the plates 14 may be moved sidewise out of the way and the unit drawn up along the pile 7 and out of the Water, the vane being turned so that it may be drawn up between the sills. To install a. vsne the reverse operation would be performed.

The upper portion 50 of the bore of the crank may be of the some, '(licineteuss the becringbollar 9 so that when the sleeve is returned downwardly the bore '50 may slip down smoothly on the b6&ll1 lg-00ll31' 9 which may engage both the inside of the sleeve 2 us well as the inside of the bore 50. In the drawings the vanes are shown located close to the bed of the ocean,- but it is to be understood that the proper location of the vane may be determined by the engineer in such manner as to secure the greatest efliciency from the wsveaction. It is found in practice that the best results are secured when the v rtue is fully submerged. The vane may be adjusted up or down the sleeve 2 by loosening the clamp-bolts 47,, then moving the vane as desired, and then again tightening the clsmp-bolts 4'7.

The foot-bearing 8 should be located as the ground,

I claim 1. A wave power system compr sing a supply-main, a pressure-maim'an air-pressure tank connected to receive water from and return it to said supply-main, a sump,

a plurality of water-motors arrangedto discharge into the sump, a plurality of valve controlled nozzles connected with the pressure-main to respectively supply said watermotors, electric generators connected with theW-ater-motors respectively; a plurality of piles, sleeves on said piles respectively, vanes, a vane being on each sleeve and operable by wave-action, each sleeve being rotatably mounted on its pile, and pumps, the pistons of which are operatively connected with the sleeves respectively to receive power therefrom, said pumps being connected with the supply and pressure mains to receive water from the former and to discharge water into the latter.

2. The combination with a pile, of a sleeve on the pile, head and foot bearings between the sleeve and the pile, a 'aue on the sleeve, and means fastened to the head of the sleeve to transmit power therefrom.

3. The combination with a pile, of a sleeve rotatably mounted on the pile, avane to rotate the sleeve, and means to transmit power from the sleeve.

4. An inner pipe, an outer pipe mounted to rotate on the upper part thereof, powertransmitting means at the upper end of the means and the outer pipe.

outer pipe to transmit power therefrom, a vane fixed to the lower portion of the outer pipe, and a bearing at the upper end of the outer p1 pc to support the power-transmitting .5. The combination with a pile, of a sleeve provided at its lower end with a ball-bearing thimble having balls to engage the pile, a bearing between the head of the sleeve and the pile,a crank fixed to the head of the sleeve, a bearing to support the crank, it vane fixed to the sleeve, and means to transmit power from the crank.

(3. The combination with two bearingplates, of a crank provided with a gain in which said plates are seated, means to hold the plates together, means to support the plates, a pile a sleeve carried by the crank and rotatable on the pile, and a vane fixed to the sleeve to turn the same.

7 An outer pipe rotatably mounted on an inner stationary pile, a vane secured tothe lower end of the outer pipe, bearings to sustain the outer pipe in position, and means .to transmit power from the upper end of the outer pipe. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 1st day of May, 19.09.

ALVA LEEMAN REYNOLDS.

In presence of JAMES R. TOWNSEND,

M. BEULAH TOWNSEND. 

